Lions out, but Fagan couldn’t be prouder
A STRAIGHT-SETS exit from the AFL finals was not the way Chris Fagan imagined Brisbane’s 2019 campaign would end.
However, the Lions coach couldn’t be prouder of the stunning transformation the club made after they climbed from 15th last season to second after this year’s home-and-away season.
In the end it was a lack of poise — both in the qualifying loss to Richmond and Saturday night’s heartbreaking three-point defeat by GWS — which proved the inexperienced outfit’s downfall.
The challenge for Brisbane under the Tasmanian’s guidance is to now avoid a Melbourne-like spiral back down the ladder.
“Over the last two weeks, that’s a reasonable thing to say,” Fagan said post-match when asked if his group lacked poise in the pressure cooker of finals.
“Everyone says you have to play in a few finals to know what they’re all about, so we have that experience and hopefully it can help us grow next year.
“All I do know, with the two last home-and-away games and the two finals that we played, we’ve had some experience money can’t buy for this young group.
“It’s been a brilliant season. No one would have expected this.
“I’m just really proud of our players, I’m proud of our footy club for the way they’ve gone about it.
“They’ll know they can do it, but … we don’t want to be just a flash-in-the-pan club.
“We want to be a club that can consistently get into finals and press each year to be a chance.”
While Fagan’s finals campaign ended, Jake Kolodjashnij’s continued after Geelong held off a West Coast fightback on Friday night.
The key defender played his part in the victory, picking up 14 possessions and taking six marks matched up on Eagles spearhead Jack Darling, who booted three goals but only had the nine kicks.
It leaves five Tasmanians still in action ahead of this weekend’s preliminary finals, with Kolodjashnij to lock horns with Jack Riewoldt and Toby Nankervis, while Jeremy Howe and Brody Mihocek will be key planks as Collingwood looks to reach a second consecutive grand final.